Jane Rubino

One of the most appealing things about this book is that it portrays the power of the written word. A good portion of it is dedicated to letters sent back and forth between characters — an Austenian take on social networking before the advent of Twitter, Facebook, texting, cell phones, and e-mail.

The novel follows the adventures of Lady Vernon and her daughter, Frederica, after the death of Sir Frederick, which leaves them financially dependent on his spendthrift brother, Charles Vernon. The result is a lively romp through Regency England, replete with charming young men, rascally cousins, and plenty of gossip. It’s a fluffy spin-off of a Jane Austen novella, and more true to Austen’s ideology of women and society than other recent attempts at adapting her works for a modern audience.… (mer)

Borrowing the framework of Jane Austen’s unfinished work Lady Susan, this novel tells the story of Susan Vernon and her daughter Frederica. When Susan’s husband Frederick dies unexpectedly, his brother Charles inherits both his estate and his entire fortune. Charles is a grasping and selfish man, so although honor demands that he provide for Susan and her daughter, Charles refuses to do so. Susan and Frederica are therefore left virtually penniless, and soon their entire social circle is speculating about what Lady Vernon and her daughter will do next. Marriage is the subject that mainly occupies everyone’s minds, but both Susan and Frederica are determined not to marry men they do not love.

I have a weakness for Austen-themed fiction, but most of it doesn’t tend to be very good. So I was pleasantly surprised by this book; while the style is certainly not identical to Austen’s, it does have an authentic period feel. I don’t think I’ve ever read Austen’s Lady Susan – or if I did, it was years ago – so I wasn’t bothered by any deviations from the source material. I have the impression that Austen’s Lady Susan was much more cold and manipulative than the Susan Vernon in this book. However, since Susan is meant to be one of the heroines here, I can’t really blame the authors for the change! The romances in the book are satisfying enough, though they’re not given much depth. Rather, the novel’s focus seems to be on immersing its readers in an Austen-esque world, and on that basis I really enjoyed it. I’d recommend this to fans of Austen or 19th-century literature in general.… (mer)